


Other Mother

by Whatevergirl



Category: Les Misérables (2012), Les Misérables - All Media Types
Genre: Coraline AU, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-03
Updated: 2014-06-04
Packaged: 2018-02-03 06:41:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 14,118
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1734896
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Whatevergirl/pseuds/Whatevergirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>She lies in wait, watching those who pass through the house... She waits for the lonely ones, the vulnerable ones and then she strikes. Only one ever got away, but even he did not escape intact. She plays the other mother and she wants their souls. </p><p>When Valjean moves in with his daughter, she sets her sights on the child. </p><p>Coraline AU, but it's not necessary to have seen it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

The young boy ran alongside his mother, his small legs scurrying to keep up with the woman's quick stride. The day was warm, a murky autumn day with grey clouds but very little chill in the air; the remnants of summer clinging to the days as though afraid to be lost in the fog.

The boy wandered close to his mother's side, one hand holding onto her bright skirts, the other gripping the stick he had been playing with earlier in the day. They were changing places again, trying to find their family. The woman had been imprisoned, her young son living half in the jail with the guards, half on the streets of the nearby town. He was a sensible boy. He had survived.

She occasionally wondered why he didn't play as freely as other children; why he did not laugh and giggle. He had imaginary friends, it seemed, but his idea of games involved slapping them with that stick he held and reprimanding them for wrong-doing.

She did not correct him; she did not know him. Her own son was a stranger to her, this seven year old boy with a scowl and a serious demeanour. He followed her blindly, not asking where they were going, but he did not care so long as she did not leave him. She was not sure if he cared about her, if he even knew how to care. The child did not talk to her, just held her hand and walked by her side. She frowned slightly; unaware it was the same expression her child wore.

As they walked, the woman spotted a large, colourful house. It stood on its own amongst the trees and the slopes and the countryside. Even in the dull glow of the sun through the clouds, it looked welcoming.

She walked over to the house, her boy's fingers now grasping her hand instead of her skirt. The house looked empty, but she would leave him standing by the edge while she checked inside. She may be uncertain as to whether or not she loved him, but she would do her duty and protect him as best she could.

The house wasn't exactly empty, but it was somewhat abandoned. There were old fashioned children's toys left scattered in one of the rooms, books with their markers in the pages left on tables in the library... even dishes sat in the deep sink, covered in ants and various other bugs. There was a thick layer of dust over everything. She collected the boy and told him to go and sleep. They would stay the night and leave early in the morning.

The boy walked into one of the old rooms, looking silently around at the remains of someone else's life. He trailed his fingers quietly over the dusty bed sheets, wondering who had lived here. There were clothes in the wardrobe, as thick with dust it seemed, as everything else in this old house. There was a variety of knitted dolls in a box in the corner. Under the bed lay another three dolls, old grimy things, but they were more solid, made of something other than wool, though he did not know what. 

One of the dolls in particular was startling though, in a way nothing else in this eerie house was; it wore brown shorts, a white shirt and a light blue waistcoat. These clothes had patches on them... the doll was almost identical to him, light brown hair on its head and a frown on its face. It had two large black buttons for eyes though, which seemed to stare blankly out at the world.

The boy lay on the musty bed, preparing to sleep. In his arms, he held the doll. He kept it close, trying to protect it from the loneliness of the world, to keep it safe.

\------

When they left in the morning, the woman did not ask why the child was so blank. He no longer clung to her, simply walking one step behind her as they carried on.

She did not know him well enough to wonder why he was so odd, she could see little difference. She did not ask why his face and arms were covered in long scratches, as though someone had trailed a knife down him. She did not ask why his eyes were bleeding, as though he had tried to claw them out.

She wanted to find her family again. She knew where they planned to be, if the plans had not changed, but if they let before she and the boy got there then she did not know where else to look. Their family roamed the land, but she would find them.


	2. Chapter 2

"But, why isn't he coming with us?" The soft voice of a young child broke through the silence again. They were sat in a carriage, their belongings packed and on the roof as they rode through the countryside.

"He does not live with us, my child."

"He did!" The stubborn voice spoke up again.

Valjean sighed, running a hand through his daughter's soft hair. He did not know how to explain properly to Cosette that Javert could not come with them. It was true the man had been frequently around when they had been living in Montreuil sur Mer, but that had not been as a response to the friendship Valjean had been trying to begin; the man had been collecting evidence.

Valjean had enjoyed spending time with Javert. They had spent a great deal of time together; eating, playing chess, reading... simply sitting around, with no real plan to do anything. It had been wonderful. They had even been several occasions when Javert had fallen asleep beside him, his head dropping down onto the shoulder of his mayor.

Cosette had gotten used to making use of him in her games, and the inspector had happily indulged her. No. No, he hadn't. He had been gathering evidence to support his claim that the mayor was a criminal. He had been heartless, and it was important to remember that.

Valjean simply had to forget how the man looked when he slept, so still that Valjean had several times worried the other man had stopped breathing. He had to forget the warmth of his body, the soft sighs he let out as he woke up.

He had to forget the adorably bemused look Javert often donned when confronted with emotions. It was a little bit sad how the officer simply could not understand why something like love may make someone willing to break the law. Javert had stated several times that love was where you wanted the best for the object of your emotions, and so could not understand why a person would be willing to risk jail for them.

Javert did not understand love. He did not understand jealousy. He did not know why the mayor had gotten so upset when Cosette wanted to play with him instead of her adoptive father. He assumed, in that oddly detached way of his, that Mayor Madeleine would prefer a little time to himself, instead of constantly having a child under foot.

Valjean wondered if he understood betrayal. Not in the way of written rules, of a spoken promise of anything so obvious, but betrayal of friendship. Was that why the man had hesitated slightly when he had come to arrest the only person in the town who had befriended him?

Did he understand affection? Did he have a fondness for Cosette, for Valjean? Did he enjoy spending time with them? Surely he had better things to do, day and night, than gather evidence on the off chance the Mayor was a criminal rather than the respectable Madeleine he played?

Valjean certainly hoped so; several times he had thought there had been a hint of a smile of the other's thin lips, a twinkle in his eye that depicted amusement. As difficult as it may be for Javert to dredge up any feelings, he must have about managed it on several occasions during their time together.

Regardless, they had left. Javert had stood before him, the strong hand of the law, and denounced him. Valjean had told the policeman he would not go to jail, else Cosette be abandoned. He had stated that he would be destroyed if such a thing happened. Javert had stopped advancing and stared at him, with something in his eyes that resembled sorrow.

Valjean had slowly edge towards the door and left, running once he had left the room. Javert had not chased him down, not to his home, or while they had left the town. Perhaps, he had had some feelings for them.

He raised his eyes to the large house before them. The exterior had been painted a horrific pink/red colour that clashed horrible with the picturesque views around them. However, it had been fairly cheap and easy to rent.

The lower apartment was apparently occupied by three women. Monsieur Gillenormand had scowled at this, but had not elaborated on what it was that bothered him. Valjean had not asked. The apartment above them was rented by a young man named Enjolras, who was raising mice, or rats... some kind of rodent. Gillenormand had not thought to forbid it when the young man had moved in, not considering it an issue and now it was too late to add it into their contract.

Valjean had been told 'No animals.' He suspected this was why.

Their apartment was the middle one. It had been empty for a long time, apparently, but when Gillenormand had inherited the property he had tidied it out and tried to rent it. However, he claimed that people were easily spooked by the house refusing to stay in it for any length of time, though he insisted that these ghost stories were due to over active imaginations.

Valjean had nodded his head, assuring the old man he would not flee after the first night, but try to settle into the place.

"Good." He had stated. "Good. I had a sister go missing from here a long time ago. I was only a babe at the time, and I do not remember her, but since then no one has stayed here long. It is good to see this house will be a home again."

Valjean had felt a chill come over him, but dismissed it. Cosette was a good child, she knew not to run off too far and she was very trustworthy. As long as he set out sensible guidelines, she would be safe.

As the old man left, he pushed the shoulder of the boy talking to Cosette, hurrying him down the path to the carriage. Cosette turned and grinned happily at her Papa. Perhaps they could live happily here...


	3. Chapter 3

The house was large and old. There were two floors, lots of rooms and many interesting little nooks to explore. Cosette happily scrambled about, searching eagerly for any hidden secrets. She picked the first room to the right at the top of the stairs for her bedroom. It was quite large, with an old, musty bed in one corner. It had a beautiful candelabrum on the oak dresser against the far wall, though it needed a clean if it was ever going to shine, and an old armoire. Everything looked as though it was terribly old and the child hoped she would not break anything.

There was a lantern on the chest of drawers by the dresser and there was a bunch of items scattered about the room. At the back of one of the drawers in the dresser were some dolls. There were four that she pulled out. One was of a little boy with dark hair; he had hose on, and a ruff. She would have giggled at his old fashioned clothing, but she was feeling slightly uncomfortable about something. There was a little girl in a big dress, with a laced collar and a pretty cap. There was another little boy, this time he had light brown hair, as well as shorts, a shirt and a waistcoat, which were covered in patches. There was also a little girl, with long blonde hair, a white cap and a simple blue dress. The doll looked just like her, with a look of amazement on her face. All the dolls felt as though they were filled with sand and they all had buttons for eyes.

"Cosette? Come eat your dinner."

Cosette looked up at her Papa's voice, gathering up the four dolls and dropping them onto the bed. She kept a hold on the little Cosette... Euphrasie, she could be called. Cosette and Euphrasie went down to dinner, wondering what her Papa could have possibly made in the little time since they had arrived.

It turned out to be a thin soup. When she came downstairs her Papa gave her a big smile and asked her to go to see if either of their neighbours had any bread to share. She nodded quietly and walked outside. First, she climbed the stairs up to the top apartment, knocking softly on the door.

"Hello? Ah, hello. Who might you be?"

"I am Cosette."

She raised her eyes to look at the man before her. He seemed, to her young eyes, very tall with wide eyes and an almost manic grin. His blonde curls bounced as he crouched down to talk to her, flicking the tails of his red coat out behind him.

"Cosette? This name I have heard. Where from... Ah, yes. Les Souris Amis!"

"Pardon?"

"Oh, my manners. Apologies. I am Enjolras, leader of Les Souris Amis. We are here to right wrongs, to oppress evil, to keep the good people themselves from being oppressed!"

"Oh it's... a pleasure to meet you."

There were numerous mice jumping about inside, squeaking loudly. When Cosette tried to lean in to get a closer look, Enjolras stepped in the way.

"What can I do for you, my dear?"

"My Papa would like to know if you have any spare bread."

"I shall have to ask my friends. A moment, please."

The blonde man spun around, turning his back to the young girl; still crouching, he began to whisper to his mice. A moment later, he stood and hurried inside. He brought over a loaf of bread to the child.

"Here. My friends do not mind, though they ask that you do avoid the door."

"What door?"

"I do not know. Sometimes, I think perhaps I should give them a little less drink..." He grinned as he mimed tipping a bottle down his throat. Cosette giggled, bringing a hand up to hide her mouth as her eyes shone.

"Thank you, monsieur."

"If you head downstairs, the ladies there may have something sweet."

She grinned and hurried off, calling a farewell as she scurried down the steps.

The bottom apartment was warm, an almost uncomfortable heat coming from the door as she stood in front of it and knocked.

"Hello? Hello?" A tall woman answered the door, squinting above Cosette's head.

"Hello." She whispered. The woman lowered her gaze to the little girl.

"Ah, a child."

"My name is Cosette."

"We have a guest?" called a voice from inside. "Well, bring her in."

"It is the new neighbour, my dear."

Cosette was lead inside, where it was even warmer. There was a large fire burning in the fireplace, and a great number of pictures on the walls. The place looked expensive, as though the woman had plenty of money to spend.

"Dahlia, who is this?"

"Our neighbour." The tall woman hummed slightly, glancing down at her pretty pink nails before gliding through into another room.

"Hmm..." The other woman frowned, before stepping forward. She had greying hair and a frail figure, but a kindly smile. "What is your name, darling?"

"Cosette."

"Oh, a beautiful name. I am sure we knew a Cosette once, though she was just a babe. Her mother was a dear friend of ours, and we are waiting for her to return to us."

"Oh. That can't be me. I do not have a mother anymore."

"No? Such a shame. Ah, my name is Favourite."

"Favourite?" she forgot her manners and blurted out, not expecting such an odd name.

"Yes." Sighed the woman dreamily. "From my time in England."

"Oh." She did not know where England was, but she had never been there.

"Can I offer you anything? A drink?"

"Oh, no. I am sorry, but my Papa has made some soup for tea. I must leave. I came to ask if you have something sweet we may have?"

"You are a cheeky little thing, aren't you?" Favourite said, good-naturedly. "We have some dried fruit in the pantry, and I believe there is a spare pot of honey there too."

Cosette grinned, hoping desperately that there was some honey. A third woman pottered out, holding out a pot of honey and a bowl of fruit. She was quite a large woman, but when she crouched down and embraced Cosette, she sank into the cuddle, feeling a peace from her that had been missing since they left Montreuil sur Mer.

She thanked them and hurried back to her Papa, who smiled softly as she came inside.

"Ah, there you are. I was wondering if you had gotten lost."

"I got bread, and I got dessert."

"You did? My clever little girl! You have been busy."

He smiled fondly down at her as he took the soup off the fire.

"Let's get our dinner, then we can have an early night."


	4. Chapter 4

It was early the next morning when Cosette headed outside. The heavens had opened during the night and the ground was soaked through, but she did not mind. Knowing her father would be in bed for some time yet, the girl explored the surrounding area.

It was a beautiful area, she supposed. There was a small wood close to the house, which would have all sorts of animals in; there was a stream running down one of the crevices that came from the nearby mountains; they had a lovely garden and there were very few neighbours. 

There was Enjolras, whom she had met the previous day; there were those three women downstairs, Favourite, Dahlia and Zéphine; and then Monsieur Gillenormand and his grandson, Marius. She had not met the boy yet, but her Papa had said he was only a few years older than her.

The air was cold, but she decided to follow the stream up and see if she could find where it started. It was wonderful, but she couldn’t quite get over how quiet the whole place was. In Montreuil sur Mer, the streets were crowded and even at night the residents were loud. Sat on the side of a mountain, even though she was still near the base, she was sure she could hear the mooing of the cows in a field far away… It had to be at least a mile away from the Pink House!

“You shouldn’t sit on that rock. It’s not very stable and you might fall.”

“Pardon?” She turned around, prepared to have a go at whoever had decided to complain at her. Looking up into the freckled face, she found her words dry up.

“Who are you?” The boy asked, arms crossed over his skinny chest.

“C-Cosette.” She stuttered, managing a shy smile.

“Oh, you moved into the Pink House, right?”

“Yeah. Papa and me.”

“I’m Marius. It’s my Grandfather’s house you’re in.”

“Oh.” She stood up quietly, her eyes downcast. 

“Want to be friends?” He stuck out a hand, Cosette grinned when she realised that his smile was awkward. She placed her hand in his and watched curiously as he raised it to his lips.

“What should we do?” She asked.

“Were you exploring?” When she nodded her head, he put a finger on his chin and thought. “How about… we keep doing that?”

“Yeah.”

“And you can tell me about you guys?” He tagged on the end, hopefully. 

“What do you want to know?”

“Where are you from?” They set back off, heading down the slope carefully.

“Montreuil sur Mer. Papa was the Mayor there.”

“Why did you leave?”

“Because Papa had an argument with Javert.” She frowned slightly, she missed Javert.

“Who is Javert?”

“He is our friend. He’s a policeman.”

“Why don’t you have a mother?”

“She died.” After her mum had died, Cosette had been adopted by her Papa. He had been the boss at the factory where her mum had worked, and he had been worried about her living alone on the street after her mum’s death.

“Oh. My parents are dead too.” Marius awkwardly offered the information up.

“Oh.”

She slipped down, the mud still soaking. Marius laughed slightly as she stood back up, mud caking the back of her dress. She scooped some up and threw it at him. He squealed as some of it hit his face, but he crouched down to get some more to throw back at her.

Cosette giggled and began to slip and slide down the incline again; Marius laughing happily as he followed her. 

Her Papa was not terribly impressed with the mess she trailed behind her as she got back home, but he was pleased she had made a friend. He gave her some old rags to clean up with as he began heating some water for a bath. 

Sat in the tin bath in the living room, Cosette happily chatted about what she and Marius had been doing. Her Papa was not happy that she had been climbing up the mountain though.

“You are seven years old. If you want to climb, let me know and I will come with you.”

“But Papa, you were still sleeping.”

“Then you should have waited.”

She pouted, staring up at him with large eyes. He stared down at her, but she kept her face set, wobbling her bottom lip slightly. He crumbled like a badly built pit. 

“Next time you will wait for me.”

“How about if I don’t go too high up?”

“Not on your own.”

“With Marius?”

“I’ll settle for that, yes.”

She grinned happily as he dumped a bucket of water over her head. Their life out here would be perfect, she just had to find a way to make her Papa talk to Javert again, then he would be happy too.

\-------

It was when she was with Marius again that the idea occurred to her; she could write to Javert. He liked it when things were written down for him better anyway.

She got Marius to do the writing, he was ten years old so his handwriting would be better than hers. That was important because she wanted the inspector to take her seriously. 

“We need to think about what we put.”

“What do you mean?” Cosette looked up when she heard Marius’s soft comment.

“You said he doesn’t really get feelings?”

“That’s what Papa says.”

“Then you can’t just write ‘Come here because we miss you’.”

“So what do we write?”

“I’m not sure.” Marius frowned, his pale skin pulling together as he tried to work out the best way to help his friend.

“How about we say that it’s best because he keeps Papa safe and Papa looks after him?”

“Yeah. Anything else?”

“How about that we were in the middle of a game when he had an argument with Papa so he needs to come and finish it?”

“Right.”

“Can we include that I miss him anyway?”

“I guess… We do have proper reasons too.”

They set about writing the letter. Marius’s writing was careful and neat, his letters tidy blocks of clear communication. Cosette made Marius include that if Javert was coming here he had to promise not to arrest her Papa. Marius knew the address of her new home, so he wrote it on the back, and she told him what to put on the envelope; surely there was only one Inspector Javert of the police in Montreuil sur Mer.

Marius promised to post it next time he went into the nearby town with his grandfather.

Cosette gave Marius a hug before she went back inside to tell her Euphrasie doll everything that had happened that day.


	5. Chapter 5

Cosette curled up in bed, staring out the unshuttered window. She half dozed as she tried to imagine what she would say to Javert when he arrived. She would ask him to stay though; her Papa had been miserable without him. She knew her Papa enjoyed talking with her, but he needed someone to have boring, grown-up talk with. 

A noise caught her attention; Euphrasie winked at her as she tottered carefully up onto her feet. Cosette gasped, her blue eyes widening in fascination as she watched the toy move. The doll staggered out the room and a moment later there were some soft thumps. Cosette jumped out of bed, gripping her too-long nightdress in her fingers so she didn’t stumble over it as she hurried after Euphrasie. 

The doll was lying at the bottom of the stairs, a gentle smile on her face as her blank button eyes gazed up at the little girl. Curiosity flooded the child, and she glanced down the hall; her Papa’s door was slightly ajar, but she could hear his gentle snores as he slept. She tiptoed down the stairs and helped Euphrasie to her feet.

They wandered through to the spare reception room and Euphrasie dropped to the floor beside on of the walls as though all her strings had been cut. Cosette watched her for a few moments, but when she did nothing more, the girl sighed and went to pick the doll up.

From the new angle, Cosette caught sight of a door. It was hidden behind a cupboard that wasn’t quite pushed all the way up against the wall. 

It took a lot of effort, but Cosette managed to push the cupboard out the way enough to reach the door. She sighed in disappointment though. It was locked.

“Don’t suppose you know where the key is, my dear?” She asked, mimicking her father’s tone from when he lost something.

The doll stared at her, a smile still fixed on her face, then once again slowly stood up. 

Cosette followed, trying to keep her eagerness under control. It was not lady-like to jump up and down, squealing. The doll stopped in the kitchen and dropped to the floor, Cosette sat down beside her and looked around, trying to see where the doll was pointing her now.

“Are you hungry, my dear?” her Papa was stood in the door, rubbing his eyes. 

“Oh, no… I was just playing with Euphrasie.” She smiled at her Papa. He looked sad as he stood there, looking at her.

She stood up and wrapped her arms around him. Hopefully, Javert would be here soon. It had been nearly two weeks since she and Marius has written to him.

“Back to bed.” She followed her Papa upstairs. The toy was left on the kitchen floor, a frown now etched into her face.

\------

The next day, Cosette hunted through the kitchen drawers. The key had to be in here somewhere. She frowned as she looked, but grinned when she came across a box of keys. Picking it up, she took them over to the door and sat down beside it.   
Her Papa was singing to himself as he tidied up the place and emptied their stuff. Cosette smiled. He seemed to be in a better room this morning. She took the lid off and began trying the keys, one at a time: A large bronze one, a large silver one, a little silver one with a flower on the end… a small brass key with a button on the end.

It fit.

Cosette held her breath as it clicked. Slowly, with fingers trembling in anticipation, she pulled the little door open.

It was bricked up.

Cosette’s face fell, her eyes tearing up as she looked at it. She had expected… something… she didn’t know what, but maybe something magic. After all, her doppelganger doll had shown her the way. Why would Euphrasie care about a wall hidden behind a little door?

She threw the key over at the boxes lined up against the far wall and stormed out.

How boring!

She decided to go and find Marius. He might do something interesting.

She found the boy making a castle in the mud, trying to keep the slimy walls upright. He was doing it wrong, so she sat down to help him, not caring in the slightest that her clean dress was getting ever dirtier.

By the time her Papa called her in for dinner, the young children were covered head to foot in mud. Marius looked nervous about how muddy he was, so Cosette stalked off inside. Trust a boy to ruin all the fun! … She hoped he wouldn’t get into too much trouble though. Her Papa didn’t mind her getting muddy, but she knew some people objected.

It seemed as though his grandfather would not like such childish and ungentlemanly behaviour.

“My goodness, child.” Laughed her Papa when she came skipping inside. “Stop right there.”

He put a bucket of water and some cloths beside her to clean up with as he went to get some old clothing for her to wear while they ate.

“I like it here, Papa.” She said as she sipped her broth.

“I am pleased.” He smiled at her, his face still carrying that sad echo that Cosette was sure Javert could cure. She was sure he would cheer up when Javert arrived. “I do not think I will bath you again tonight. It is becoming a frequent thing though.”

“I like playing outside. It’s nice here.” She really did. It was much more fun to run around in the trees than it was to hang out in the town streets and try avoid the crush of people, horses and carriages.

“That is fortunate.” He nodded his head calmly at her and went back to eating.

She wondered for a moment whether or not to mention the key, and how Euphrasie had led her to a little doorway that was really a wall… but she decided not to. Marius had said his grandfather didn’t like it when he talked about things doing stuff that they weren’t meant to, and she had a suspicion that a doll leading her downstairs in the middle of the night might count. She didn’t want to bother her Papa with this when the doorway didn’t even go anywhere.

That night though, as Cosette knelt by her bed and said her prayers, her eyes kept opening up at every little noise, her heart jumping when she thought she heard something…

It wasn’t until she was curling up in bed again, her line of sand dolls sat on the chair near her pillow that something happened. Euphrasie was on the floor, smiling as she stood up again. There was a thump as the doll of the boy in a white shirt, brown shorts and a light blue waistcoat fell off the chair. He too struggled to his feet, but rather than smiling at her like Euphrasie, he frowned and shook his head, turning and trying to pull the other doll back inside the bedroom.

“Let her go!” hissed Cosette quietly, horrified that she had two dolls that could move and they would choose to fight. She picked the little boy up and put him on the bed, then hurried out then room and shut the door between him and herself and Euphrasie. 

The little doll once again began to totter over towards the stairs, but Cosette carried her down them, this time. She wasn’t sure if it hurt the doll to fall all the way down or not, but she didn’t want to risk it. They headed over to the spare reception room, crouching down by the gap behind the cupboard that had not yet been pushed back and she reached out.

Behind the door, the brick wall had gone. Cosette gasped in amazement as she looked at the bright, colourful lights that filtered through. She grinned down at her doll, before pushing the door open enough for her to wriggle inside and crawl through.


	6. Chapter 6

She came out into a room much like the one she had just left. There was a table pushed into the corner, with four chairs surrounding it. But rather than just being the dull brown of the wood, these had colourful fabric covering them; a light blue tablecloth which flowed like water to the floor and four sheets of deep purple covering the chairs. Cosette gasped at the colour, reaching out with one hand, but not actually daring to touch the fabric in case she dirtied it.

The girl headed out, smiling at the feel of the plush carpet that ran through the house. It was nice that the cold floorboards they had, even if her Papa had covered most of them over with numerous thin rugs.

She headed through into the main reception room, where she could hear soft singing. Her Papa was sat on the sofa, a drink on the table beside him and a book in his lap.

“Into the kitchen.” He smiled broadly at her, but she gasped… His eyes were buttons! “Your mother wants to see you.”

Cosette stared wide-eyed at him for a moment, before turning and hurrying through to the kitchen. She stopped in the doorway, her little heart pounding as she stared at the woman by the range. Her limbs quivered. Who was this?

“H-Hello?” She squeaked.

“Cosette? Oh, I am pleased to see you.” The woman turned around. She was tall, with long, black hair that was kept back with a bright bandana and she had a gentle smile.

“Who are you?” she asked, still not stepping into the room.

“I’m your mother.”

“My mother is dead.” She wondered if this was someone else's mother instead.

“Your other mother, silly.” The woman giggled and wiped her flour-covered hand on the apron she was wearing. The rest of her clothing was bright, orange and reds mixed together with pink hinting through in places.

Her eyes were also black buttons.

“Why don’t you go outside and play for a while? I’ll call you in when your dinner is ready.”

Cosette managed a hesitant smile and headed over to the door. She pulled on her boots, wrapped a blanket over the top of her night dress and stepped out into the cool air. The ground was covered in puddles that rippled as more precipitation fell from the sky.

“Hi.”

“Marius!” Cosette smiled widely. Marius gave her a large grin in return, his blue button eyes seeming to shine happily.

“Coming out to play?”

“It’s raining. Won’t you get in trouble with your grandfather for getting muddy?”

“Nope. She fixed that. Come on.” He took her hand and pulled her outside and off the covered porch. She giggled happily, throwing the blanket out the way and running off to splash through puddles.

Marius ran after her, his face set in a wide grin and he began to lead her along a path nearby the mountain trail they had seen a few days ago. In the normal, dull world, it led to a rocky path. Cosette wasn’t allowed up it by herself because her Papa worried, but in this world, it led to the most amazing fort Cosette had ever seen. It was two stories high, with steps leading up and large sheets of metal that fell at an angle from top to bottom.

“Those are slides. It’s the quickest way off the fort.” Marius nodded intelligently and Cosette grinned.

“You go down them?”

“Yeah. Come on.” 

He took her hand and pulled her over to the entrance.

“It’s mud.” She gasped in surprise.

“It’s a mud and wood fort.” Marius replied, a grin flickering over his face as he watched her. “Come on in.”

At the top of the slide, Cosette froze. It was a big drop, and very steep. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to try it. Marius let out a loud yell and slung himself in, going feet first down and laughing all the way.

She frowned. She did not want to be shown up by him. She sat carefully down and meticulously tucked her dress in so it would not fly up as she set off. That done, she sat there for another moment.

“Coming, Cosette?” Marius cried up to her.

There was nothing for it, she wriggled her butt closer to the edge and pushed away, her eyes tightly shut. Exhilaration flowed through her as she shot down the slide. She slowed to a stop at the bottom, giggling happily.

It had been fantastic.

“Let’s go again!” She yelled, crawling to the end of the slide and jumping up. Marius nodded and headed up after her.

Over and over again, Cosette threw herself down the metal sheet, until she lay at the bottom, out of breath but thrilled none-the-less.

“Cosette? Dinner is ready?”

Cosette pulled herself up at her other mother’s call.

“Are you coming for dinner?” She asked Marius. 

“No.” he replied with a smile. “She doesn’t like uninvited guests.”

“What?”

Marius froze for a moment, before giving her an odd smile and running off. Cosette sighed in mild irritation at the strange boy, but as she headed back inside she forgot about him. Something smelt wonderful.

“Ohhh, what’s for dinner?” She asked, waiting at the door for someone to hand her a cloth.

“Sheep rumps and kidneys in rice, with an array of vegetables that your father has grown.” She smiled at Cosette. “Well, come in.”

“I’m muddy.”

“And I’ll clean up later. Just wash up at the sink and go sit down.” 

Cosette grinned widely, slipping off her boots and hurrying through to wash herself as best she could.

“What would you like?” Asked her other mother, a plate in of hand and a ladle in the other.

“Anything.” Replied Cosette, with no idea what half the foods in front of her were. 

When her plate was put in front of her, Cosette put her hands together and bowed her head.

“Oh, we don’t pray here.” Her other mother said, the anger in her voice making Cosette’s head shoot up. The woman forced her face into a smile. “It was your father and I who put the effort in.”

The words gave Cosette a chill, but she picked up her fork. Once the other mother had her head down, she sent a quick ‘thank you’ to God, before she allowed herself to eat.

It was delicious. Cosette hummed happily and forgot all about her discomfit. 

“What would you like to drink, Cosette? Whatever you want…”

“Milk?” The woman headed over to the pantry and came back with a glass of milk. It was unexpectedly cold, but very refreshing and Cosette sighed happily as she swallowed it down. 

“Cake?” Her other father asked as he cleared away the plates.

“Yes please.” Cosette smiled sleepily. A slice of cake was placed in front of her, and it was utterly delicious.

“Enjoying it?” Laughed her other father and Cosette hummed.

“Yeah.” She sighed, finishing off the last bite. Her head rested on the table as her eyes drooped.

“Bed time, I think.” Murmured her other mother.

Someone picked her up and carried her upstairs. Once she was lay in her bed, warmed by the fire that flickered gently in the fireplace, Cosette fell asleep before she could say any prayers.

When she opened her eyes again, she was in her room in the dull world, with just her father downstairs, who would be trying to make things good for them, even though he missed Javert. She stayed in her bed though, and tried to remember everything that had happened in that strange but wonderful place.


	7. Chapter 7

Javert sighed as he shifted on his horse. It had been a long ride here, but something in the back of his mind had compelled the police officer to make the journey.

It had caused an odd conflict in Javert when he had received Cosette’s letter. He had purposely let them go and then thrown himself into another case so that he could lose track of them. He had never planned to see the two again, but it had caused him a great deal of pain. 

At first, he had assumed the pain in his chest had come from some ailment, but his landlady had laughed at him when he had said so. She told him that the mayor had been his friend, so to find out the man had once been a criminal had hurt. It would have felt like a betrayal, she said.

Javert had not understood. He had never asked the mayor outright if he was Jean Valjean, he had never had any conditions to visiting the man and his daughter. Javert had simply found comfort in their presence.

Betrayal… The woman had said Javert would have felt betrayed because Mad- No, because Valjean knew he was a police officer and had befriended him anyway.

Javert wondered if Valjean felt betrayed because they had been friends, and yet Javert would have arrested him. Did the man consider friendship more important than duty? Javert already knew the answer to that. It had come when he had asked the mayor to dismiss him and the man had refused.

It was even more ridiculous and difficult to understand when Javert considered the fact that dismissing him would have meant that any suspicions Javert had had of the man would have been dismissed as the rantings of a man who was about to or had lost his job. It would have left Valjean free.

Was this friendship? To not dismiss a man from his job, even when it could lose you your freedom… Did that kind of sacrifice come under friendship?

Finally, the house he had been directed towards came into view. It was a large, pink monstrosity that fill Javert with a chill, as though he had just stepped into icy water. He cantered up to the building, his mind desperately searching for the reason the place filled him with dread.

It was as he dismounted and heard a high-pitched squeal that it occurred to him. This looked like the place that had stopped his dreams. He had had a horrific experience here, but he did not know if it had been a dream or not. It had been many years since Javert had dreamed, and he could not recall how life-like they were. 

Regardless, he thought as a small body hurtled into him, thin arms wrapping around his waist, it had been here. He remembered the doll that had matched him. He remembered curling up to sleep in a cold, dusty bed and waking to see the doll beckoning him to go downstairs. He remembered going through the little doorway to find a woman on the other side. She had looked the same as his mother, but with buttons for eyes. She had been kind, encouraging, and all the things his own mother was not. 

It had frightened him. She had gifted him with button eyes, asking to be allowed to sew them in place of his own eyes; she offered him a place with her forever. He had thrown her gift down the well in the garden and ran back to the little door. 

She had grabbed him before he had gotten away, dug her fingers into his eyes. He could remember the terror leaving him as she had removed his soul, piece by piece. He had waited though, allowed her to get too absorbed in her task, then he had struck out. She had fought him, but he had escaped back through the little doorway. He had slammed the door shut, grabbing the small, brass key and locking it behind him. He had, with difficulty, pushed a cupboard over to hide the doorway and put the key with all the others that lay in a box in the kitchen. 

He had picked up the doll that he had left beside the now hidden door and stared at it. He remembered feeling as though something in him was missing… he ought to have been angry… he wasn’t. He had lifted his eyes to the cupboard and felt mildly vexed that the woman probably would be impossible to arrest, but he had turned and gone back to bed, putting the doll with the other two like it on the table. 

He had spent a moment staring at the three heavy dolls, then decided to put them in the box with the knitted dolls. In the morning, Javert had gotten up, checked his appearance wasn’t too alarming and had headed back to his mother’s side, despite the blood that kept dripping down his face.

“Javert?” Cosette’s gentle voice pulled him out of his memories. He looked down at the child and tried to smile at her. It was even harder than normal… “Are you coming inside? Papa will be so pleased to see you.”

Javert stared blankly at her. Inside? He did not want to go inside. His feet refused to carry him any closer to the house, even when Cosette tugged on his hand.

“Javert? Are you unwell?” Cosette’s small fingers let go of his, but he barely registered the difference.

What if she was still there? What if she found out he was here was wanted to finish eating his soul. He shuddered at the thought of her fingers in his eyes again and took a step back. His eyes caught sight of a young boy, probably a few years older than Cosette. He had wide eyes set upon a freckled face.

What if she had moved on? Could he really call himself a police officer while he cowered? Especially in possible proximity to a woman who preyed on children? What if she had gotten to Cosette, or this other child?

He had to move. He had to go inside and check that door was still locked and hidden. His eyes focussed on the house, but his feet still refused to move.

Why was his heart hammering so? What was it that kept him back? He couldn’t breathe… He wasn’t entirely sure he wanted to… He couldn’t be here. His vision went hazy…

“Javert, what are you doing here?” An angry voice drifted to his ears as though the man were miles away. “Javert?”

He began to gasp, his head was pounding and he couldn’t see. His legs gave way and he dropped to the muddy ground. He heard someone call his name, but he fell to the side and passed out.


	8. Chapter 8

That evening, Cosette watched as her father fussed over Javert. She wondered why her father had been angry with Javert, was it because he hadn’t come to visit sooner? Javert was often busy with his work as a police officer, he may not have had any free time to visit before now, so Cosette felt her father may have been a bit unfair.

Whatever the reason was, it had been forgotten in the worry of Javert fainting. Not that anyone but her Papa was worrying… Javert claimed he had been tired by the long journey here and had forgotten to eat on the way. Cosette took her cue on how to act from him, because he was a sensible man and her Papa always worried too much.

Cosette had noticed when the man had pulled himself up out of her father’s bed and staggered downstairs. He had gone straight to the spare reception room, stood in the doorway and glared at the cupboard. She had gone over to ask if he needed help over to a chair or something in there when she noticed how white he had gone.

She had called for her Papa again. When her father had taken Javert back to bed, Cosette stood staring at the cupboard too. She wondered if he knew about the little doorway and the other mother…

She headed back up the stairs and stopped outside her father’s door for a moment. He was trying to convince Javert to take a bath.

“You will feel better for it.” Her Papa was saying. Cosette sighed and left them to it. Her father ought to know by now that you had to say ‘it says to do this in this book’, or ‘this is what people are taught to do after a day of riding’. 

Logic over feelings. She wasn’t exactly sure what logic was, but she knew saying ‘it’ll make you feel better’ didn’t count.

She headed back to her room and sat on the floor, making Euphrasie dance with the boy doll that wore a ruff. The wind was howling outside now, and Cosette was feeling tired. She hadn’t said goodnight to Marius though. She had kind of forgotten about him after Javert had fainted and her Papa had carried him inside.

Oh well. She would see the other Marius later instead. Maybe they could play in his fort again, that had been fun.

She yawned and changed into her nightdress, feeling eager to go visit her other family. She knelt down and whispered her prayers happily, thanking God for finally bring Javert to them. When she was done, she blew out her candle and snuggled down in bed.

It felt like no time at all till Cosette heard the familiar thump of Euphrasie falling to the floor. Cosette jumped up quickly and hurried out before the other doll got moving too. 

Behind the cupboard, through the little passage and into the other world… Cosette grinned happily when her other father greeted her.

“Why don’t you head upstairs to see Enjolras and Les Souris Amis, Colette?”

It wasn’t raining here, and the wind wasn’t blowing. It was a gentle evening, so Cosette hurried up the stairs to see Enjolras. 

“Welcome!” He cried, the tails of his red jacket flaring out as he spun around. “It is wonderful to see you.”

“H-Hello.” Cosette replied, managing a smile. 

“Ah, Marius. There is my little apprentice.” 

“Apprentice?” Asked Cosette, turning to see the other Marius coming in the room. “What is it you do?”

“I help train the mice.” Marius smiled at her.

“Train them? To do what?”

“Oh, all sorts. Right now, we are teaching them to hunt for the- It doesn’t matter.” Marius cut himself off when Enjolras started to look distressed. 

“Come!” Enjolras pulled her along and sat her down on the floor. “Enjoy the show.”

It was a fantastic show. Cosette cheered and clapped as the mice danced, played little instruments and used what had to be magic to do tricks. She had never seen anything so wonderful. At the end, one of the mice twirled over to her and presented her with a necklace. It was a strange thing, with an odd rock with a hole in it as the main piece and some kind of glass in the gap. She thanked them though and allowed the other Marius to fasten it around her neck.

“It’s very important.” He whispered. “Please don’t lose it. Don’t let her see it.”

“I won’t.” she promised, hiding it underneath her nightdress and fastening the ribbons up around her neck.

Cosette headed back downstairs, not feeling entirely comfortable with keeping a secret from her other mother, who was doing so much to keep her happy.

Dinner was spread out on the table. There was fresh bread and a thin soup to begin with, followed by some kind of meat, with carrots and cabbage. She drank more cold milk and ate more cake.

“This has been the best day ever. First, Javert comes by, then I get to see the most amazing mouse show ever, then I get delicious food.” Cosette sighed as her other parents put her to bed.

“Javert?” asked her other mother, sharply. Her eyes narrowed as she looked at Cosette. The young girl sat up, confusion flooding her. Why did her other mother sound angry? “Luc Javert?”

“I- I’m not sure…” She replied, her eyes wide. The other mother stood up and stormed out the room. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s not a problem, Courgette. He just hurt mother’s feelings once. It’s bedtime now.” Her other father tried to coax her into lying down.

“Javert has been here before…” she murmured. Her other father’s eyes went wide and he glanced nervously at the door.

“Sleep time now.” He said, but his voice was no longer quite so comforting, and his lip was curling in a way that implied he was getting angry himself. “You settle down and think about tomorrow. The four ladies downstairs have something real special to show you.”

“Really?” asked Cosette hopefully, distracted from her fear.

“Oh, yes. You’ll love it, Corvette.”

Cosette grinned and shut her eyes, wondering what the ladies downstairs could possible do to top Enjolras and Les Souris Amis.


	9. Chapter 9

Jean Valjean sighed sleepily as he opened his eyes. He turned his head to look at the still body of Javert, the only hint of life being the slight rise and fall of his back as he slept. The sun was shining brightly in the window though, and he could hear the birds chorusing loudly. 

Valjean rolled onto his side to look more properly at the man. Javert’s face was relaxed in sleep, but his body was as worryingly still as ever. Valjean had slept close to many, many others; in his early life with his family, in prison, on the road… he had never known anyone to be so completely still while they slept, certainly not for the whole night.

The older man reached a finger out and ran it down the whiskered skin of Javert’s neck. He was warm. The man’s eyes fluttered for a moment and then he turned his head to look at Valjean.

“Good morning.” He said, looking slightly bemused, before sitting up and pulling himself out of the bed. Valjean watched him go, not speaking a word as he headed over to his bag and pulled out a shaving kit.

Valjean sighed and pulled himself up. He got himself ready and headed off to Cosette’s room. The girl was fast asleep, not even stirring as the old door to her room creaked when Valjean pushed it open. He smiled and headed back out. She could rest a while longer.

The day actually went smoothly. Valjean and Javert successfully dodged any conversations about going to jail, or betrayal or anything. Instead, they chatted about the weather, what moving had been like, how Montreuil sur Mer was doing…

It was his darling little girl who broke the fragile balance. 

“Is your first name Luc?” she asked as they ate their dinner.

“It is, yes.”

“You’ve been through the doorway, haven’t you?”

Javert made a choking noise and stared in horror at Cosette.

“You’ve been through?” he asked in a whisper. “Don’t do it again. Don’t listen to her.”

“What doorway?” Valjean asked, feeling confused. “Are you talking about the women downstairs?”

“Did you have a doll? One that looks just like you?” 

“Yes. Euphrasie. She is wearing exactly what I wore when I first got here.”

“No…” whispered Javert, his face white.

“What are you two talking about?” Asked Valjean, his irritation bleeding through into his tone. He put a hand on Javert’s back, hoping to calm the man. 

“My other mother.” Cosette said, simply. “She is wonderful.”

“Don’t let her take your eyes!” hissed Javert, jumping to his feet and wrapping his arms around himself.

“My eyes? Why would she want my eyes?”

But Javert just shook his head and dropped back to the ground. He wrapped his arms around his thighs and pressed his face into his knees. Valjean moved to sit beside him and pulled the trembling body against his own.

“What are you talking about? Cosette?” He looked at his child, desperately hoping for an answer that would clear this up.

“When I go to sleep at night, I go through a little doorway into another world. It is wonderful there, everyone is happy and I have a mother. She isn’t the same as my real mother, but that’s because she is my other mother. She likes to make me happy. There was a massive mud and wood fort that me and the other Marius played in, then I saw Enjolras and his Les Souris Amis! They were brilliant.”

“It sounds busy…” he replied, hesitantly.

“It is. Then I go up to my room, which I decorated all differently to my room here. I fall straight to sleep and wake up here again.”

She was smiling brilliantly, practically bouncing in her seat. He smiled and thanked her, then looked down at Javert, who was still on the floor beside him, still shaking…

A ghost, perhaps? A haunting? He could remember Monsieur Gillenormand telling him not to worry about ghost stories and over active imaginations… Javert must have been here as a child and been frightened by the stories. Cosette certainly seemed to be enjoying where her dreams were taking her.

“Come, my friend. Let’s get up off this floor.” Valjean might have been in good shape, but he was still eleven years older than Javert. He wasn’t eager to sit on the floor like a child anymore.

Javert raised his head, eyes glistened with tears. Valjean felt a jolt of surprise… For him to still be so frightened…

Javert staggered to his feet, wiping at his eyes as he did so. Valjean stood and lead them both through to the sitting room. He could hear Cosette stomping her way through the house as she played her games, and he left her to it. Javert seemed to need him now.

Once they were settled on the sofa, Javert turned and cuddled into him, in a similar manner to a child… or a lover. Valjean held him close though, not speaking a word of protest. He could have objected; after all, Javert had betrayed their friendship by trying to arrest him. How could he now come back to Valjean and expect him to care…

But he did not object, simply because he did care. They had been close in Montreuil sur Mer. They had been good friends, and if Valjean hadn’t been pretending to be someone he was not, he may have tried to take it further.

He wondered if that was a possibility now. If, perhaps, Javert might be open to the idea. He certainly didn’t seem bent on arresting Valjean, or if he was he had a strange way of going about it. Valjean pressed a kiss to the only skin he could reach easily, on Javert’s ear. The man sighed and wriggled closer.

Valjean grinned broadly. Now he just had to plan how he would go about this.


	10. Chapter 10

Cosette was eating first tonight. She hadn’t finished her meal when Javert had become ill, and she hadn’t wanted to finish it while he was panicking. She chatted with her other mother and father as they ate, but she noticed a lot of the conversation revolved around Javert. 

It made her a little uncomfortable, so she kept her answers as brief as possible.

“Is he staying in the house with you?”

“Yes?”

“What is it he does?”

“He is a policeman.”

“Is he a… _good_ person?”

“The best.”

And so on, until they had finished eating. Next, Cosette was served the most delicious cake she had ever had. She whimpered as she ate it, feeling the texture seem to melt in her mouth.

As she finished, she began to feel excited again. Tonight, she got to see what the women downstairs were going to do. She had no idea what it was, but she was sure it would be good. Her other mother came and sat down beside her, placing a box by her plate.

Her other father took the plate as Cosette stared at the brightly wrapped paper.

“Well, it’s a gift.” She smiled gently. “Open it.”

Cosette slowly pulled the paper away and opened the box. Inside, there were two buttons. She frowned and looked up curiously at the woman.

“You can stay here forever. All you have to do is let me give you a set of buttons.”

“B-buttons?”

“Yep. I sew buttons into your eyes and you can be a part of our family forever.” She smiled warmly at Cosette.

The child looked over at her other father, who had his hands wrapped around a mug of beer.

“Barely hurts at all.” He smiled, but flinched when the other mother glared at him.

“Can I see the ladies downstairs while I think about it?” She asked.

“Of course.” They led her to the front door and stood smiling together as she headed down.

“Hello?” Cosette called out as she headed inside.

“We have a guest!” yelped Dahlia, the tall woman spinning around to smile at the child.

Favourite slowly walked over to her, looking her up and down. Zéphine pushed the small woman out the way and took Cosette’s hand.

“We don’t have much time. Fantine?” Cosette gasped as the final woman turned around. It was her mother! She squealed and threw herself at her.

Fantine pulled Cosette close.

“We need to hurry. You can’t stay here.”

“But, you’re here.”

“I won’t be here long. Even here, where the magic is strong, it is a struggle to remain. I am only here because He wishes it.”

“You can’t stay?”

“No. I’m sorry, my beautiful child. I can’t.”

“But…. If I stay here, maybe you can come back sometime?” But Fantine was shaking her head.

“You don’t want to leave Valjean and Javert do you?”

“You mean Papa and Javert?... No. I don’t.”

“Then, you can’t stay.”

“Maybe she will let them stay with me.”

“And you think they will?” Cosette frowned, remembering Javert’s words at dinner. _Don’t let her take your eyes…_ he had been so scared… she didn’t understand how he could possibly be scared of anything, or anyone.

“No. Javert would not want to be here.”

“No. So, I need you to be brave. You need to get out of here, lock the door and destroy the key.”

“Has she trapped many people?”

“No.” This time, the answer came from a small girl. She had long, black hair. It was tatty and unclean, much like the girl’s whole appearance. Her eyes were a warm brown, and they were not buttons.

“How are you?” Asked Cosette, hiding slightly behind her mother.

“My name is Éponine. She is my mother but she has only ever trapped my siblings and me, then three others.”

“Your mother?”

“I think so. We used to live in this house, it was a public house, where people drank and became witless. A priest came and my parents tried to scam him.”

“I bet he didn’t like that.” Whispered Cosette. Éponine smiled. 

“No. He didn’t. He banished our family from this realm, calling us demons. I believe my parents are, so that could mean my siblings and I are… but I’m the only one left now.”

“Where are your siblings?”

“She ate them, I think. She took their eyes and ate their souls.”

“W-What about the others?”

“A boy named Jehan. A girl named Marion. And then a boy named Luc… kind of.”

“Kind of?” Asked Cosette, wondering if this was Javert.

“He escaped, but she got most of his soul.”

“Has she still got it?”

“Oh yes, they all stay here. But it’s no use worrying about them. Their bodies are long gone.”

“Luc Javert is still alive.”

“He is? Then, if you free the rest of his soul, it may return to him.”

“I want to get the others, so that they may go to God.”

Éponine stared at her for a few moments, before nodding her head. “It is better than them staying here.”

“Can you leave?” Asked Cosette.

“I… do not know. I have never tried.”

“Come with me?”

Éponine gave a non-committal grunt in reply, but she began to explain how her mother liked to play games. She told Cosette to go up, talking about a circus show she had seen, with gymnasts and animals. She told Cosette to go to bed, but don’t go to sleep. The magic would send her back if she slept too deeply.

Instead, Cosette was to make a start on freeing the souls. Her necklace would help, it would help her see colour in a monochrome world. Cosette didn’t understand until she put the glass to her eye, everything became black, white and grey.

“The souls will have colour. You’ll be able to see them.”

“Do I have to go alone?” She whispered, fear seeping into her body.

“For now. But, I will join you when you start to search.”

Cosette nodded her head. She headed back upstairs, plastering a wide grin on her face and talking about how she wishes she could be a gymnast.

Her other parents put her to bed, and when asked if she would let her eyes go, she replied:

“I still don’t know.”

But, Cosette fell asleep. Her head hit the pillow, her eyes fluttered shut, her breathing evened out and her body returned to the real world.


	11. Chapter 11

As her eyes fluttered open, Cosette let out a gentle wail. She had fallen asleep! She felt her lip wobble as she pressed her face into her hands and rocked on her bed. How could she have fallen asleep?

Taking a deep breath, Cosette stood up. She would get her Papa to help. If the other mother was the reason why Javert didn’t understand feelings, then maybe she could help him, but she needed to get back and the brick wall was there during the day.

She knocked on his door, trying to figure out what she would say. There was no reply, and pushing the door open, she saw the room was empty. Her Papa did tend to wake up before her. 

She headed downstairs and into the kitchen. That was empty too.

“Papa? Javert?” she called out, wondering where they were. A thorough search showed they were not inside, so she went to head out. The front door was locked… She frowned. Her Papa only locked the door at night, never during the day. He certainly wouldn’t while she was inside alone.

Surely… A cold stab of fear shot through her belly, surely the other mother didn’t want Javert so much…

Cosette tore through the house, falling to her knees by the doorway. It was bricked up, but the cupboard was definitely pushed further out than it had been. She let out a sob and fell to her knees. Her papa… Javert…

She felt a hand on her shoulder and jumped.

Fantine smiled down at her.

“Mother?” She whispered. The woman was wispy, barely there, but her smile was warm and encouraging.

“Let me help.” She said, her voice distant, but sure.

Cosette nodded her head, sitting back.

“Go get a warm coat and some shoes.” Fantine instructed as she turned to face the doorway. Cosette ran out the room, pulling her royal blue coat over the top of her nightdress and pulling her boots on.

The doorway was open when she returned, but Fantine wasn’t visible. Even so, Cosette hurried through the passage and into the other spare reception room.

No one was there, and as she crept through the house, no one came to meet her. In one of the room, her other father was drinking and chattering loudly away. He was taller than normal, his hair had a ginger tint to it and he was using bad language. She crept on.

She got outside and crouched down for a few moments, trying to decide where to go. Éponine solved the problem when she silently slipped over and pulled Cosette into the basement apartment. 

“You fell asleep?” hissed Éponine quietly, her eyes flashing in irritation.

“I’m sorry.” Murmured Cosette, hanging her head miserably.

“It’s fine. We can use the same plan now. She isn’t expecting you for hours yet.”

“Where do we look?”

“May as well begin down here. Have a look.”

Cosette pulled the necklace out from underneath her clothing and looked through it. It was all the same until… there! A flash of red. She pulled her eyes away and look ahead. On the mantelpiece, there were candelabra. Putting the glass before her eye again, she moved forward and placed her hand on the red orb. It was one of the jewels decorating the piece. She gave a tug and it came off.

“Six more to go.” Smiled Éponine.

“Where next?”

“I have a few ideas, but let’s start upstairs with Enjolras.”

“Why up there?” Asked Cosette as they began to move.

“She added three very specific things for you. Down here, the mouse circus and the mud fort.”

“If she already had them, why would she put them into something new?”

“I play games with her. She can never resist, but she can never beat me. She changes things up around here every now and then, and she always puts their souls into the new games.”

“What about your… siblings?” asked Cosette hesitantly.

“They don’t often move. I think I know where they are.”

“Where, in case we get split up?” Cosette really wanted to know the whole plan.

“Gavroche is usually in the sun room, the one with the plants in. he always wanted to be outside, but that was the next best thing for when she locked us in. Azelma will be in the master bedroom. She liked to play with our mother’s perfumes and stuff.”

Cosette nodded her head as they stopped in front of Enjolras’ home. 

“The twins are kept in the kitchen. If they ever had names, I did not learn them. They were born just after she began her final descent into madness.”

“Where will Papa and Javert be?”

“That, I do not know. Look for something new.”

Cosette nodded and pushed the door into Enjolras’ open. She lifted the stone to her eye and looked through it. There was something green… she headed into the room, her confident steps only faltered when one of the mice came before her. It dropped one of their little drums into her hand… She checked and saw it was the green light.

With the instrument in her pocket, Cosette turned and let out a little scream. Enjolras was suspended above the door, his body unmoving, wrapped in red fabric. She hurried back to Éponine and they left.

“I hope most will help us. No one wants to be here anymore.”

“How will helping us do that?” 

“If we escape, maybe we can find something to exorcise her completely. That way, the things she created should just… disappear.”

“They don’t want to be alive anymore?”

“We’ve been here a very, very long time.” Éponine replied, her eyes looking far too old in her young face for a brief moment.

“Fort?” 

“Yeah.” They headed over to the fort in silence. Cosette stood and stared up at the structure. She had had so much fun in this… It was a shame…

At the bottom of the fort, buried in the mud, they found what was clearly the broken remains of Javert’s soul. Like shards of a broken cup, Cosette picked up the small bits of pottery and put them in her pocket.

“And now, inside.” Sighed Éponine. “I do not remember the last time I entered this apartment.”

“We’ll go together.” Cosette answered, gripping her friend’s hand.

“I wonder where Marius is. He was a recent addition, but I liked him a lot.”

“You’ll get to meet the real Marius soon.”

“Yeah.” 

They entered the house, standing still for a moment as they considered where to go. Éponine tightened her grip and pulled the blonde girl up the stairs.

“She’ll be in the kitchen, cooking for you. We’ll go there last.”

The girls crept along to the master bedroom. They both jumped and froze when they heard a loud crash from downstairs. It was followed by a man’s laughter, then the other mother was screeching angrily at him.

“She doesn’t sound right.” Cosette said gently as they slipped into the room.

“No. She won’t until she had put the other mother body on. She is just herself right now.”

“She does all her cooking as herself? But she was my other mother whenever I’ve seen her cooking.”

“And she has had her doll to warn her whenever you are on your way. Where is your doll, by the way?”

“I don’t know. I haven’t seen her in some time… Not since the last time I was here. When I woke up, she was gone.”

“Perhaps Javert locked her away.” Éponine murmured.

Cosette didn’t reply. She pulled the stone out and held it to her eye again. Azelma was now in the tops of one of her mother’s perfumes.

“Fitting…” muttered Éponine, scornfully. However, her eyes were sad as they left the room.

“Downstairs…” said Cosette gently, and they headed down, treading as lightly as they could manage.

Again, the soul in here was easy to find, the centre of one of the flowers.

“Don’t suppose you have seen Papa or Javert anywhere?” muttered Cosette, her eyes scanning the area.

“Not really.” Sighed the other girl. “Come on.” 

They searched quietly through the rest of the place until only two rooms remain unchecked, the room with the other father in, and the kitchen.

“We have to go into the kitchen anyway.” Éponine reminded her, brown eyes warm and comforting as they gazed upon her.

“Come with me?”

“Yeah.”

They stepped into the kitchen, limbs shaking as they confronted the other mother…

Except she wasn’t the other mother. She has shorter, with wild brown hair and a pale face.

“Cosette? I wasn’t expecting you yet…” Her buttons flashed as she caught sight of her actual daughter. “And Éponine… Here I thought you had curled up somewhere and died.”

Cosette thought this a horrible thing to say, so cut her off before she could say anything else.

“Where have you put Papa and Javert?”

“Oh, I’m keeping them safe. Don’t you worry about that.”

“Give them back.”

“No.”

“We’ll play a game for them.” Said Éponine. “Come now, Madame Thénardier, you like games.”

“I do… Fine!” she snapped.

“Whoever we find, you let go.” Éponine’s eyes were bright.

“No. What do I get out of that?”

“There are only four left…” Cosette spoke up. “If we don’t get the rest, I’ll let you…take my eyes.” She shuddered, but kept her eyes on the woman.

“Only if I get both your eyes; it is about time Éponine gave me hers.”

They nodded. She laughed and wandered out the room. The twins were easy to find, but difficult to reach. They were in the mini chandelier that hung above the table, and Éponine, being the taller of the two, had to stand on the table, on several thick books and she still struggled to get the down.

She actually fell of the table at one point, but she insisted to Cosette it didn’t hurt that much. Even so, when she stood up again, she was hobbling slightly.

Once they had the candle that contained their two final souls, the girls headed over to the reception room where the other father was drinking… except it wasn’t the other father. This was clearly Monsieur Thénardier and he was loud and rowdy. 

“Éponine, my girl!” he yelled out cheerfully at her! “Brought her to us, have you? You’re a good un.”

“Look around!” she hissed at Cosette before going over to distract her father. “They want a meat pie, father. I don’t know what to put in.”

“Are there any animals about, my girl? That’s what you put in. Cat liver, horse’s bladder, kidney of the fucking dog. If they want meat, give ‘em meat!”

Cosette searched, but she couldn’t see anything new. It was all the same. She felt like crying. She put her head in her hands and let of a small sob.

“Can we use a _stone_ , father?” Éponine shouted loudly, her eyes glaring pointedly at Cosette before she looked at the man.

“Stones? Only if you are desperately, my girl. They don’t go down easy.”

Cosette took the hint though and pressed the stone to her eye… She saw a golden glow from Éponine, which made her smile, before she searched the rest of the room.

There was a number of glass bottles up on the top shelf. Cosette had assumed they all contained alcohol, but it seemed one held her Papa and Javert; a vibrant blue and a slither of orange…

She had to reach it first though. She hurried through to the kitchen, where the mother was leaning against the table. 

“Not long, Cosette.”

Cosette would have objected they had had no time limit on the game, but she focussed on pulling one of the chairs through instead. Once she had it positioned under the shelf, she started hunting books to give it more height. 

Cosette hurried though, Éponine was sounding desperate in her attempts to keep her father distracted. It was only when Cosette fell off the chair, bringing the glass bottle down to shatter beside her, did he push his daughter away.

He let out an angry roar, but Éponine put herself in front of him.

“It’s too late.” She told him, then grabbed Cosette’s hand. “Run!”

The two girls ducked under the man’s spidery arms and ran through the hallway to the next reception room. Another roar joined the man’s and the children scrambled as quickly as they could back through the passageway. There were two pairs of strong hands to pull them through the other end. 

Cosette gasped as she was dropped to the floor. Javert slammed the door shut and pressed his back up against it. 

“The key!” He yelled frantically.

Cosette’s fingers scrambled around in her pockets until she produced the small, brass key. Her Papa took it and used it to lock the door that Madame Thénardier was clearly thumping against. There was a horrific cry, and then silence. Cosette threw herself at her father, tears tumbling down her face.

Éponine glanced at Javert, but he didn’t seem open to having a child accost him in such a manner. She settled for nodding her head at him and allowing herself to be hugged by the larger man when she was introduced to him.

“Welcome to the family.” Cosette’s Papa said with a wry smile. Éponine relaxed and grinned back.


	12. Chapter 12

Javert sat on the ground, gasping. Something felt odd… Something felt very odd. He looked up to see the ghost of the boy he had once been, bleeding eyes and all, stood before him. He managed not to flinch when the boy reached out a hand and touched his forehead, but he collapsed on the ground a moment later, tears falling from his eyes.

He had never thought about the fact that he was missing a large portion of his soul, but regaining it hurt. It was like trying to fit something into a slot that had once been the correct size, but Javert had grown and changed since he had been seven years old. 

He felt too hot, yet he lay shivering on the ground. Two strong arms came to embrace him, and they were more of a comfort than he had expected. He leaned back and allowed Valjean to hold him.

“Come on, I’ll show you the real Marius.”

“It’s dark outside…” The young girl Cosette had brought along made a good point.

“It is bed time. Éponine can stay in your room.” Valjean didn’t’ move from his position on the floor, but his voice still held a firm note of authority. “Can you stand?” he asked Javert softly.

“Yes.” Javert pulled himself up, locking his knees together when his legs still felt too weak.

“They’re broken.” Cosette suddenly cried out, holding out a number of items in her hand, including a miniature drum, a candle and some pottery. They were all broken into little pieces.

“I thought you wanted the souls to go back to where they are meant to be.” Said Éponine quietly, looking curiously at Cosette.

“You never got to say goodbye though.” She replied, looking sadly at her new friend.

“I already did, many times over. Thank you.”

“Bedtime.” Valjean cut in, letting go of Javert to start herding the girls upstairs. “Do either of you need to eat before you go to bed?”

“No, Papa.”, “No thank you, sir.”

“Then go and get washed up for bed. Cosette, do you have a spare nightdress for Éponine?”

“Yeah. Here.”

Javert stood at the top of the stairs and watched and Valjean managed to get two excitable girls settled down for the night.

“Now, my friend.” He said as he shut the door behind himself. “Let us talk.”

Javert followed the man into the master bedroom and obediently sat upon the bed when directly. Valjean crouched down before him.

“How are you feeling?” He asked. Javert frowned for a moment and thought about it.

“Strange. I have regained a part of myself that I lost over thirty years ago.”

“Are you in any pain?”

“Not anymore.” There was this strange warmth inside him that would not be dislodged, but it was not painful.

“Then, may I do this?” Valjean leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss to Javert’s lips. The younger man felt a blush spreading across his cheeks and down his neck. All the times people had kissed him in attempts to throw the police officer off, or get him to forget his duty… it had never felt like that.

Javert stretched his neck to lean down and kiss Valjean again. It punched the breath out of him when the older man wrapped his arms around Javert’s shoulders and pulled him down, off the side of the bed and into his lap. He wanted to object that he wasn’t a child, but that would have meant pulling away, and Javert did not want that.

For a moment, all Javert could hear over the roaring in his ears was their panting, then Valjean let out a low groan, picked Javert up and dropped him on the bed before crawling over him. Javert let out a soft moan, too aroused to be surprised and he wrapped his legs tightly around the man’s waist. It brought their lower bodies into contact and even through their clothing, Javert could feel the heat of Valjean’s erection.

This time he was surprised, not by the fact that it was there, but by how much he wanted to touch it. He whimpered and pulled the man’s head down, pressing their lips together in a sloppy kiss.

Valjean sat back on his haunches and stripped Javert, but his hands were gentle as they removed his clothing and his face was eager, hungry as opposed to judgemental. He did not scoff at the numerous scars Javert had, or the odd lump in his ribs where he hadn’t allowed them to heal from being broken before going back to work.

Instead, he leaned down and pressed soft kisses to the marks, his whiskers tickling Javert’s skin, but the feel of his tongue erased an objections Javert might have otherwise raised.

However, it was the whisper of “You are beautiful” that made Javert’s blood surge and his limbs to quiver. Javert found, unexpected, that he believe his lover when he said this. He had never considered whether or not he was attractive, but to Valjean, in this moment, he could truly believe he was. 

Valjean removed his own clothing, revealing too many scars and too gruff skin for such a good man, but when he settled on top of Javert and moved, allowing the skin to rub together, Javert forgot entirely about it, throwing his head back and whimpering at the wonderful sensations. 

They rocked together, slowly exploring what skin they could reach. 

It would not erase the horror of what had happened, it would not stop the confusion Javert would feel at experiencing both dreams and nightmares for the first time in many, many years, but it would add a comfort that would keep them together throughout the trials that followed.


End file.
